davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02
THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN
PRESBYTERIANS.

We are very glad to see that the
Southern Presbyterian Assembly has
appointed committee to meet with
q similar committee of the Northern
Assembly, for the purpose of asce1-
tanning upon what, if any, terms the
union Of the churches these bodies
represent can be effected. This is
all right. It is the best method that
can be resorted to in order to find
out il any and what differences, as
regards either faith or government,
exist among christians, who, to say
the least, are csl!ed by similar names
and governed by similar ecclesiasti-
cal courts and who ought, on that
account in the opinion of the public,
to reuniie and constitute one church
As far az the public can see these
two churches separated from one
another on account Of a civil up
heavel over which neither had con-
troll The Presbyterian Church has
always delighted in beng designated
nationally. There is the Piesby-
teriau Church of Scotland. and of
England, and of Ireland, and before
the war the Presbyterians of this
country emphasized themselves as
the Presbyterian Church of the
! United States of America. When,
! therefore, the country was de ,Jacto
divided into two governments, it was
natural for such body of christians
to range themselves under the gov
ernments de jure and de facto which,
severaliy, had jurisdiction over their
lives and properties; and who shall
say that those that supported the
one were not as conscientious ard
moral as those that supported the
othera The time has certainly passed
when any other view of the past ac-
tiuns aud deliveren,cs of these two
sections Of the kingdom Of Christ
can be widely taken. Aud we repeat,
We rejoice that steps are being taken
! in the Northern as we'll AS tho Suutu-
ern Church with reunion in view
In such states as Missouri, Kentucky
and Maryland in which there are
competing churches, Presbyteries
Synods and educational institutions,
there ought to be hearty and thorough
CO. operation. Besides, it will not
be long before similar competition
will act as iniuriously in the states
further south, into which it is grad
uaIly but Systematically penetrating.
Living as far north as We do it
seems strange that the main argu-
ment against reunion in the South
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

bellious humor. Its easy enough" ]
thought "for the editor to tell US poor fel-
lows to write something new on the sub
iect but how to do it is the question-it's
worn out, people won't read it-'orator Of
the day may glance over it to see il we
took every word Of his eloquenceP' Ides-
perately took it up-'let's see, what have
written" Again the people have brought
gold and frankincense and myrrh to the
tomb OF Abraham Lincoln-fwe quote from
our talented speaker of the day
"'Honor-honor-honor to him, eternal
honor to his pamep Here beneath this
stately monument are preserved to poster
ity not only the sacred remains in costly
sarcophagus, but priceless mementoes OF
his everyday life carefully guarded! To
day is wreathed with flowers and memories
Could even the great emancipator
ask for more, were he to look down now on
this days doingsP' 1 stopped abruptly.
The far-a-way music growing faint and
fainter only accented the silence. The
very breath of solitude hung over Oak
ridge, but something I know not what,
made me look down to the gravel walk.
There he stood staring at the monument
with great solemn eyesi A young coiored
chap, about my size-ragged and barefoot
He stood SO long without moving muscle,
!
dreaming, and when looked again he was
not there.
Knight say he was here, for before /
had time TO come out from behind the
s'Group of Infantry" saw him coming up
the steps, head erect 'sThe ragamuffin hath
princely tread" He stopped at the first
side of the shaft-harki He is saying some
! thingi He comes to the next side. What
Is it that he says with head bowed, and
hand stretched out showing black against
the whiteness of the marblef The last
| words reach me: "May his soul rest In
peacein Who was hei Where did he
come 'front.' Now he is so near / can almost
I touch him-the hand outstretched, the SOL
! emn voice: "To God aud Abraham Lincoln
we give thanks for life and liberty" Then
/ bcwing: May his soul rest In paacer'
/ Then, soft as shadow, down the stairs
| again. From my vantage ground l saw
| him standing now in front Of the tomb, hS
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02
STILL ON THE FENCE.

According to Mr.. George William
Curtis the Mugwump voters are still
ION the fence" and regard that posi-
ton as the post of honor in politics.
Not even the extreme generosity of
President Cleveland in permitting
them to ''sit on the box and drive
this Administrator" has induced the
Mugwumps to get down on the Dem
ocratic side of the fence.
Mr.. Curtis declares that the indie
pendent voters whom he represents
will decide the next Presidential
election. But if New York be the
pivotal State, as Mr.. Curtis has adj
mitted 1t to be, his dictum is not
be accepted without reservation aud
qualification. The voters ION the
fence" got down on the Republican
side in that state in 1885, and again in
1886, and yet the Democrats carried
the election by 1000 majority in
the former year and nearly 5000 last
year. In 1884, when the fence un
loaded on the other side, President
Cleveland had only 1,100.
This does not prove that the In.
dependent vote will not be accept
able to the Democratic candidate il
1888, but it seems to indicate that i!
is not the determining quality. TIE
''two clouds" to which Mr.. Curtis
points-the Prohibition vote on on.
| horizon and the Lahcr vote on th,
other-are pretty certain to over
shadow the Mugwump ~oLtingent a.
completely as rank cabhage-!ea
shadows gentle lady-bug.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

or the Confederate dead in the Nation
al cemeteries there ara ut Camp Butler.
Cypress Hills, Finn's Point, Fers Smith,
Hampton, jefferson, Barracks ana Wood
lawn, about lo,ooo, to say nothing OF those
at Arlington, Fayetteville and elsewhere,
that are numbered among the unknown.
The National Cemetery at Mound City,
Ill, containing $3.50 bodies, 2,76a OF
which remain unidentified, is beautifully
situated upon tho Ohio river Just above
Cairo. The monument here was erected
in 1874 by the State at cost of sS, 600.
The case is twenty-five feet square and
four feet high, with die ten feet SQUARE
and fifteen feet high, and large panels Of
variegated marble on each Of the four sides,
The whole is surmounted by Goddess OF
Liberty in marble, most tastefully and
artistically carved. At the base is the shot
stand and elegant statues Of soldier and
sailor.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

Even then, while his words were yet ringing,
heard a wild shout of acclaim;
There was news of a triumph and glory to bla-
zon the tablet of fame.
Then some one came in at the door, while the
cheers rose again in the street.
With message Of death In his face and fell
like stone at his feet.
There's peace in the wide azure heavens end
calm in the soft, golden air,
But the quiet response of my spirit is only the
calm of despair.
In fancy I see his face beaming as it beamed
when he left me for ave,
His childish, wide blue eyes uplifted in eager,
sweet, questioning way.
hear his bhthe tones fondly calling forever and
ever to me,
And I answer as stranded souls answer the bells
of distress out at sea.
o drummer boy, quietly sleeping, know not
God only knows-where,
Bright garlands of deathless affection weave
in the anguish of prayer.
While memorys blasts sweep around me, to
day, in the silence apart,
I gather my souls fairest blossoms to lay or
thy grave in my heart!
JULIA H THAYER.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

ern Assembly was the relation + the
colored race to the Northern Church :,
which admits of mixed congregations
and courts. Now, everybody knows
tha, tie north is more opposed 10
social equality with the colored race,
if possible, than the south, and that
colored people themselves prefer sep
arate churches, and that it
is not possible for any part OF the
white race to dissuade or prevent the
colored race from having and enjoy
ing their peculiar institutions. But
: consultation and interchange of sent
iment will speedily prove that the
separate religious organization Ct
the races will be no barrier to the re.
union of brethren IN the Lord, such
as are the Presbyterian Churches.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

A contemptuous way of speaking
of the old upon the part of those yet
in the prime of life, always calls up
a wonderment about what seems an
utter lack of the realization tbat. so
surely as the day follows the night
and the night the day, so surely as
the seasons wax and wane, the trees
bud, blossom and bear their fruisage,
just SO surely will every man, woman
and child who lives to the allotted
time, go down the same declivity to
an old age when the physical powers
will be weakened, and the conscious
ness come that others are taking their
places upon hfe's stage of action. In
view of this universal lot, 1T is strange
indeed that anyone can treat the old
with aught save a tender reverence
and the respect due to a lifetime OF
work and experience.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02
Keep 1t Up Always.

The observance Of "Decoration Day. set
apart for strewing flowers on the graves OF
those who gave up their lives on the bat
tle-felds of the rebellion, is now partici-
pated in practically by the whole Ameri-
can people. Not only are the graves OF
tho old soldiers upon both sides OF the san
culinary struggle declSod with floral trlb-
utes by the hands of relatives and friends
on each returning anniversary of the day,
but the beautiful custom has been
adopted By common consent Gs fitting
time for all 10 demonstrate their remept-
brance of tho dead by these touching me-
MORALS. Year by year since the close OF
the war has the d1y been more and more
fully observed, until IL has, TO all intents
and purposes, become as much of O legal
holiday as any set apart by Law, and II Is
not probable that the timo will ever come,
even fhould incineration take tho place OF
burial, when tho custom will be abolished.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02
We knew shrewd woman who,

WE knew a shrewd woman who,
whenever her husband had given her
lecture on nervousness, used to
contrive to have him dress one or two
of the children for school on q win
ter's morning after a breakfast slight
ly belated. The good man would
fall meekly into the trap, not clearly
remembering the vastness Of the Ia
bor-the adjustings and the tyings
and the buttonings; the leggings and
the overdrawers, and the artic shoes
the jacket, scarf, coat, gloves, NIT
tens, wristers; the hat or cap OF
hood, to be pulled and pushed anG
tied in proper position; the complete
way in which all these things, be
sides being put on, have to be mutu
ally made fast by strings and but
tons and safety-pins, so that the chic
thus dressed is a model of compress.
ed packing, and could, like a well
packed barrel of china, be senr
around the world without injury
Calm must be the spirit, high The
purpose, of the father who reache.
the end of this complex task withou
a word of impatience, while the wife
whom he calls nervous, has Ions
since taken off his hands the othel
child assigned to him, and has will
deft hands dressed her and given on,
patient, final, all-comprehendins
twitch, and the whole thing is done
If you doubt whether men are, OF
the whole, and in their one way, a.
nervous as women, test them witt
getting the children ready for school
and remember that their mother doe.
1t at least twice day every day O
her life.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

"A YOUNG COLoRED CHAP ABOUT MY sIZE.S
ayes, too laten he said, with flashing
eyes; 'twenty -one years COO late. Joe
should have gone then. Let tie slave thank
him, not wait for the FREQ man to grow
up" He threw out one hand with gest-
ure Of despair. at seemed the one thing
Joe was living for--and he's old now
very old. He used to say: 'Yo' mus
learn fo' to speak prop'ly, honey, SOS wien
yo' go fo' to thank de blessed President.
Not cause Marsa Limkum's high and
mighty-taint that cause he jes' lub de-
POI culled folks wat don't know beans wen
de bags open! But, honey, here's de pint
| Were you'se gwine to de kings house, yo'
wants to put on yo' weddin' vestments,
an Were you'se gwine to tell Marsa Lin.
KUN how ole Joe, am you was jes' honin'
to thank him fo' life and liberty-yo' got
to use de best oh grammer-don' you mind,
honey-some POI trash tellin' he amt hear
anybody fo' twenty year-ole Joe knows;
yo' go close to lin, honey-close-Georgia's
too far off,"
Here the poor lad sighed heavily. "He
told me the moment crossed the Mason.
Dixon line, I'd know it. Dey jes' lub de
culled man up dar, chile-al yo' got TO do
| is to cross de line, any man, woman or
chile jes' jump to help youth Marsa Lin.
kum's country.
believed himIii The expression on his
face was growing disdainful. Il expect
ed rough time working my way through,
Of course; but when found myself really
here this morning was heart-sick. Some
how we had pictured it al-the great
white free North, where Lincoln lived, the
streets he walked. Pm ashamed to con-
fess didn't expect to sec just plain side
walks like other towns. We had talked
so much ] thought the very air would be
| different where our great hero had
breathcd. Was this the atmosphere, with
| busy whirl, with smoke and sounds of a
| cityg Were these his people, busy, idle, SO
like other folksa 1 was q fO0l" He paused
| so long knew he was not speaking to me,
| when he began again gently, now dream
lily: 81 wonder, dear old Joe, if you could
have been mistaken, just a little; / didn't
sec the crowd Of dusky pilgrims with
palms in their hands, didn't see the
| mighty host marching by thousands and
| tens of thousands on this dag to do honor
| to their chief. j didn't see the waving
| banners, and hear the shougs of victory
| and glory to the Lamb / was too late,
| hurried, brcathless, just to catch glimpse
of the beautiful throng-perhaps I'd be
| there, if only in time TO see each one of the
mighty host bear his wreath of flowers
| and lay them on the masters tomb. 1held
yours tight Joe-the blossoms you sent
| him-they'd welcome US among them, we'd
come so far, the flowers and l. and we loved
| him sou
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

Fepose=-
Their swords are beaten to plowshares, they
WELD but the laurel and rose.
They will wrap round the graves of our heroes
floral banners Of red, white and blue;
They will crown them with garlands of beauty,
all wet with the tears of the true.
And oh! far away in the Southland the grave OF
one hero is mine,
So tiny wonder that Freedom accepted such
gifts at her shrine
My dear little drummer-boy, sleeping, God
knows, and He only knows, where,
Who gave up his life and went bravely out into
the dark with prayer.
can see the proud form of my darling as he
marched with the soldiers away,
His sweet, childish countenance flushing like
the pink-and-white blossoms OF May.
And then, in the brightest of sunlight, 1 stand
there all stricken and dumb,
While faint grows the wild storm of music, the
deep thunderroll Of the drum.
But hope whispered words of deception to
cheer as turned me to go
God surely would spare, in His mercy, the boy
that my heart worshiped so.
And steadily on through the darkness this star
of belief brightly shone,
While my widowed and orphaned life struggled
with poverty's burden alone.
His gay letters came; as read them my anx.
ious forebodings would cease
Those little white doves always brought me the
green olive branches of peace.
1.-THE 'hardships of camp, they were nothing
he wrote, with the zeal of boy;
"'Twas the iolltest life in the world, if one had
aheart to enjoy;
"And as for the 'long, weary Marches why
they were the best of it all,
For, perched on the back of the fifer-a fellow
gigantically tall
He could ford any number of streams, sitting
calm as a King on his throne,
And do all the heaviest marching with never 6
sigh nor q groan."
His last letter bade me take courage; he soor
would be clasped TO my breast;
thrilled as read the lines over, they brought
me such comfort and rest.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

SOLDIERS MONUMENT AT YOUNGSTOWN, O.
add the military fame. Socrates went tc
war, and with his giant power carried the
wounded Xenophon of the field. Here,
therefore, where the soldier attained such
reach of mind and such renown, the graves
of the dead ones became sacred, and thus
came into being battle field eloquence.
1t was a speech with q great reason be-
meath it.
There can not be oratory except upon a
great theme. There can be tales founded
upon the romance OF two young hearts
there can be legends based upon an imp, a
dragon, mermaid, giant-killer, or upon
child reared by wolf; there can be an
essay founded uy@n some event, some per
son, or some fact of nature; readable
poem may tie composed by Burns about
an Honest Man, or by Mrs. Browning upon
Lock of Hair, but eloquence can exist
only where some tremendous sub iect exists.
and hence its thunder has rolled over only
the words 'liberty," country" I" 'rights," /"
the ''tomb," "God" and "second life ~
When our Robert lngersoll became most
eloquent he YVES recalling the graves OF
our soldiers. There in those silent hillocks
he found a theme great enough for his
mental equipment.
DS SA1S SNDOh
when he uttered his greatest Grafton
When citizens have died for their country,
have abandoned the beauty and joy of thi,
world that their country may the better
| bring happiness to Others and are undel
the sod that others may be the happier W
under the light Of the sun, then can tht
! mind that is near those graves think il,
best thoughts and The heart become full ol
| the noblest emotionss To PeiGcies stand
ing amid such memories, Athens and tht
Atheniansl past aud future, arraycd them
selves in his reason and imagination, and
his voice seemed not the voice of q man,
but the voice Of al Greece speaking to hei
! dead and TO her living through the dead
AT the close OF this speech the women
threw wreaths and ornaments at the ono
who had SO perfectly Expressed their OWL
! patriotic emotion ;El soI.d memories.
AL the Grae6 orators came upon times
when they wege sailed 10 s.5ai: words OF
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

living huarts. It is possible the Greeks be-
gan this now venerable custom Of recall
ing the dead warrior. Ia the earlier epochs
the soldier was only q slave and nerited
nothing, whether In life or in death But
in the land OF Pericles and Plato the SOL
der became the highest form of human no.
bleness, his honor was equal 10 that OF the
orator, or artist, or poet, and when he died
fighting for Greece his tomb became
worthy Of tears. By natural process the
land which could first perceive the value
Of a heroic defender was the land which
could first find that strange power OF
speech which is called eloquence. The rea-
son Of such dignifed and emotional speech
came in that measurement CT u manhood
which could die for the public safety and
welfare. A literature of eulogy had te
| come because persons had ccme into being
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02
No Determination Now.

At Hampton, Va, tho National Cometcr,
contains 6, 715 bodies Of deceased soldiers,
of which only 493 wero unknown. To tho
memory of these brave fellows, many OF
whom were on the Confederate side, q very
prstty and substantial granite monument
has been erected through the intorceBsion
of that well-known philanthropist and hu-
manitarian, Miss Dorothea l.. Dix. BY her
efforts several thousands OF dollars were
collected for this purpose and for the an
nual decoration Of the graves. IL may be
remarked in this connection that there has
been no discrimination between tho bluo
aud the gray, on the part OF tho Nationa,
Government, in giving burial 10 the latter
whenever Ii IL practicable TO do so.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

In refusing a pardon to st. Louis
man convicted of false registration,
PRESIDENT Cleveland says that CRIME
against election laws is "the worst of
all crimes" This is sound doctrine.
Let ballot-box suffers everywhere be
promptly and severely punished.
The ballot-box is the Republics
safeguard, and the scoundrel who
taints it is public enemy.
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02


eager eyes trying to pierce the darkness
within the iron bars. He softly tried to
open the door-it was lockedi A look OF in
tense surprise crossed his face. He care
fully put back into his pocket a small
white box which he had been holding, and
tried the door with both hands, gently at
Grst, then hercely. No use. He wiped
great drops of sweat from his forehead,
and with the wild look of some hunted
creature flung himself against the bars
With the cry of a hurt animal, he clung
there sobbing like a child: ''Oh, I'm SO dis
appointei-so disappointed. How can / ever
tell Joe, Poor old fellow-poor Joe-how
ian tell you that-the door is--lockedr ~
That Was too much for me. l started down
20 tell him - tell him WHAT That he
couldn't get ina He probably knew that
oy tins time. found him listlessly sitting
On one of the rustic benches staring at the
ground. Its too bad" / blunderingly
said; 1.-THE guards gone home. You're too
ate -
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

1T WAS not until 1866, the year following
The close OF tho war, that any formal 40.
tion was taken to secure q general rocog-
tion of Decoration Day, ut which time there
had been but two or three National bury
Ing places, distinctively dedicated for the
ntorrnent of the Nations deceased SOL
diers: In that asd the following years,
however, measures were taken 70 collect
from the hundreds Of battle fields, the no.
mains Of every soldier that had been buried,
so that on the Both OF June, 1885, there were
In the eighty-three National cemeteries OF
the country, 322 S51 bodies, of winch 174,-
507 were known and identified, and I4s, 244
unknown
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

Y OU n G. reporter,
poor as q church
mouse, 1 sat with my
pencil in my mouth,
on the stone railing
about tho Lincoln
monument My un-
finished Decoration
Day notes were before
mo I rraa in a 70
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

THE RIVER FROM WASHINGTON, n. @.
praise for those who had died upon the
field of battle. Much of which literature
came not from the fact that Athens had
schools of elocution, but because her SOL
diers were noble men.
II ever nation had need OF a battlefield
eloqg nee, a speech in memory of her dead
troops, this is that nation. For more than
twenty years those tens OF thousands who
fell in the war OF the secession have been
away from the land they loved. They will
never come back TO see its homes, It's viii
lagos, its cities, its greatness. They suf-
fered and died that we might live in peace
and honor. They have all gone into tho
perpetual exile of death that disunion
might cease, that slaves might go free,
that the North and South might end a long
an mostly in longer friendship, and that
he people oppressed in ,despotic lands
might look across the sea and perceive the
fact and blessedness Of liberty. Great
was tho cause for which they fought and
great is the honor beneath which they
sleep.
In tho whole history Of man there never
marched more intelligent armies than those
which trampcd TO and fro upon the banks
Of the james river and the Mississippi
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

o RICHER or more
valuable clog uence
has ever been ut
tered than that
spoken over { h Q
graves OF men who
have died In battle.
From cid Athens 10
the new America this
kind of thunder has
rcIlnd ajnuC for fha
Mexico weekly ledger., 1887-06-02

WE PRESUME in the course of time
1t will be realized as fact that no
one man can be Mayor, City Attor.
ney, Street Commissioner, the entire
Council, Sup't. of Cemetery, Sex.
ton and Fire Chief of Mexico. The
people elect men to fill all these
places and do not think a general su.
perintendent necessary.